Here I Stand
by Mystic Cake
Summary: A sort of oneshot re-write of the ending of Episode 6: what if Naoi had shot and 'killed' Otonashi, leaving Angel all alone? WARNING, this story is EXCESSIVELY abstract- don't say I didn't warn you!


Here I Stand

Author's Note- Well, when I started writing this (right now, in other words) I've only watched each Angel Beats episode once, was inspired by it and now I'm writing this fic because of it whether I like it or not, so enjoy (or not)

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Such a familiar noise...

There is no way to describe it, other than a gunshot- that's what it is, there is nothing quite like it...

Again a shot rang through the rain, and again the familiar sound of a body falling to the ground, something akin to dead in this... surreal world...

A moment of passion, followed by a moment of silence- that was now, the moment of silence... It didn't last long, but another would take it's place when it was re-established.

The rain began to fall harder, and the pools of blood began to spread. At the sight of the bloodied bodies I became sickened, strange since such a sight never bothered me before when I caused it.

_Do I think them... friends?... is this what sorrow feels like?_

I looked down and away from the saddening sight- too late. Past my rain-soaked uniform that clung to my skin as if it were a part of me, I could see the pool advancing to my feet.

"Tachibana-san" His words came out like a snake spewing out venom- there was no differentiating friend from foe, innocent from guilty- all was an enemy to him now; this was his world, he spoke what he wanted and nothing could stop him.

I raised my head from the bloodied bodies that lie before him, not quite dead, but they wait for the peace he had promised them a few minutes ago, that was all they could do. Now I focus my attention to him, in his gruesome visage liberally sprayed with blood, and he spoke:

"Do you turn against god? Are you Angel, or are you Tachibana?"

My words didn't come easy, nor did my thoughts.

_Murderer!_ Was the most prominent thought that shot itself to the forward of my brain.

_Murderer... Who? Him, or me..?_

_He's got the gun... He pulled the trigger... but I did nothing to stop him... A moment of weakness from us all was all it took... to end their existence..._

He told his story... it was spoken with tears... it was... so melancholy... so saddening... so heart-wrenchingly pitiful... was he speaking the truth? Or was it just a lie to make them all drop their guard..?

"I am..." I spoke, these were just the starting words, what came next I wasn't sure of.

The dying nodded a bit, maybe it was just a negligible shift in position, maybe they wanted a better view of the events taking place, maybe both.

"I am..." Again I repeated, still the words didn't come.

"You are..?" He asked, readying his gun, his cohorts following in suit.

"I am... Tachibana..." I whispered so quietly, i know he didn't hear me, but I know he knew I spoke.

"What!? Speak up, speak so GOD can hear you!" He yelled, damanding me repeat this fateful action- I sided against god.

"GOD IS DEAD!" I shouted, recalling something... I read that somewhere... but where..?

They say if you pray, god will hear; then I prayed, maybe god heard; maybe I was right and he was dead to us all, I would find out in a few moments.

"Then you are just a wayward student in need of discipline... Perhaps... you just need to rest..." He said, reloading is pistol in a practiced fashion then aiming carefully at me.

"Guard skill: Distortion"

Again the familiar sound of a gunshot rings in my ears, but what happens next?

I was right, there is no god to save us, or else there isn't anymore. This whole time, we haven't progressed at all- blood was still being spilled to no greater advancement, there is no peaceful rest in this world- there's just the illusion of it.

_The Crucible... was this all just a test of faith..?_

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A.N.- I'm sure that since there's only 3 other fics for this anime by the time I'm writing this that I'm not appealing to a very big audience, and since this is so abstract I'm appealing to like, 0 people; but I DON'T CARE!!!!! If you actually read this far then congrats, you get nothing.


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